Climate Resilient WASH – Learning Platform

CR WASH Concept

Gezahegn Lemecha, IRC WASH

September 23, 2021

Haile Resort, Adama

Outline

• Introduction

• Climate change and WASH

• WASH activities that drives Climate Change

• Impact of CC on WASH Sector

• Mitigation/Adaptation of/to climate related risks

• Ethiopian context

• Climate Change is associated to changes in temperature and rainfall

• Climate variability: the way climate elements (temperature & rainfall)

depart from the average value in given months, seasons, years,

decades or centuries in a given location

• Climate change: changes in climate elements that occur over a

longer period (decades or longer) in a given location

Introduction

Climate change and WASH• Water is the primary medium through which CC influences the Earth’s

ecosystem. It affects

• Water resources (quantity & quality)

• WASH infrastructure and services

• Public health

• Studies indicate

• Warming by the end of the 21st century will be between 0.3 and 5°C

• 4°C temperature rise can result in a 50% decrease in water

availability in East Africa (2014, GWP and UNICEF)

• Incidence of diarrhea is expected to increase by 5% for every 1°C

increase in temperature in developing countries (2014. GWP and

UNICEF)

Climate change and WASH…

• Climate change• Exacerbates existing vulnerabilities (drought, flooding, pollution, low

WASH coverage, population growth, urbanization, inequalities, etc)

• Can result in decline of rainfall and run-off• Decline of water supply source

• Water use conflict, migration, increased use of unimproved source

• Lack of water for hygiene practices, increase in diarrheal diseases

• Increases in concentration of pollutants in water sources

• Non-functioning of sanitation systems (flush toilets, sewerage)

Climate change and WASH…

• Can result in increase of rainfall and flooding

• Damage of WASH facilities (water supply system, collapse of latrines)

• Contamination of water sources

• Can result in increase of temperature

• Warmer temperature can lead to greater transmission of diseases

• Outbreak of infectious diseases

• WASH services that produce GHG & contribute to global warming

• Energy for pumping and treatment of water and wastewater

• Pit latrines (human excreta)

• Account to 1% of global anthropogenic methane emissions

(significant source of GHG)

• Wastewater treatment process

• Biological wastewater treatment emits significant amount of

GHG

WASH Activities that drive CC

Impact of CC on WASH SectorCC effect Potential hazards Example of Risk/benefit to WASH

More

intense rain

or prolonged

ppt

• Increased flooding

• Increased erosion,

landslides

• Contamination and

damage of surface

and GW supplies

• Changes to

groundwater

recharge and levels

• Increased availability of water

• Damage to water & sanitation infrastructure

• Pollution of wells

• Inundation of water sources/inaccessibility of water sources

• Landslides around water sources & latrines

• Sedimentation and turbidity

• Damage to infrastructure that support treatment process (electricity

network, road)

• Flooding of onsite systems causing spillage and contamination

• Flooding and collapse of pit latrines

• Overflow and /or obstruction sewage and septic systems

• Floating of septic systems due to increased groundwater level

• Excess flow to wastewater treatment system exceeding the design

capacities

• Challenges to sustainability of sanitation and hygiene behaviors

• Waterborne diseases

Impact of CC on WASH…CC effect Potential hazards Example of Risk/benefit to WASH

More

variable or

declining

rainfall or

runoff

• Long dry

seasons/periods

• Droughts

(seasonal and

long term)

• Reduced surface

water flows

• Reduced

groundwater

levels/resources

• Lack/scarcity of water

• Reduction in quantity and quality of water

• Reduced groundwater recharge

• Misfunctioning of water reliant sanitation systems (flush

toilets, sewage, treatment)

• Reduction in pollution of GW by pit latrines b/c of GW

level drop

• Increased corrosion of pipe sewers

• Increased concentration of pollutants in wastewater and

receiving waterbodies

• Breaking of sewer pipes & joints due to soil compaction

• Challenge to hygiene practices

Impact of CC on WASH…CC effect Potential hazards Example of Risk/benefit to WASH

More

variable or

increasing

temperatur

es

• High ambient air

temperatures in

homes or facilities

• Higher freshwater

temperatures

• Hot and cold

temperature

extremes

• Damage to infrastructure

• Increase in pathogens in water in water leading to increased risk

of diseases

• Increase efficiency of biological wastewater treatment process …if

temperature stays within operational limit

• Reduced efficiency of biological wastewater treatments (if

temperature exceeds or fall below operational limits)

• Growth of algae blooms or microbes carried by vectors in water

• Increased corrosion of sewer lines

• Quicker drying of facial sludge in dry pitMore

frequent or

intense

storms

• Increased flooding

• More extreme winds

• Damage to WASH facility superstructures

• Damage to other infrastructure/systems on which sanitation

system relay (electricity, road)

• CC Mitigation: Human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance

the sinks of GHGs

• Reduce energy consumption

• Gravity-based sewerage conveyance through increased use of

decentralized systems

• Promote composting toilets, regular emptying of septic tanks and

manage wastewater

• Use renewable energy sources for pumping water & wastewater

Mitigation of climate-related risks

• CC Adaptation: Adjustment to actual or expected climate change

and its effects to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial

opportunities

• Manage physical risks

• Build WASH infrastructures in carefully selected locations

• Design, operate and manage technologies and services that

are less vulnerable (deep ground water source, composting

toilets, etc.)

• Generate energy from faecal waste and wastewater

Adaptation to climate-related risks

Ethiopian Context• Prone to extreme climate variability

• Major climate related hazards are

flood and drought

• Seven major droughts since early

1980s,—five of which have led to

severe life loss; dozens of local

droughts as well

• Major floods occurred in different

parts of the country in 1988, 1993,

1994, 1995, 1996, and 2006 (world

Bank 2010)

Climatic/agro-climatic zone (MoWIE)

Climate trend

• 50 years (1951- 2006) meteorological data

• Temperature increase by 0.37 °C

• Rainfall nearly constant

• Projection over three periods 2030, 2050 and 2080 shows

• Temperature increase of 0.9 - 1.1 °C , 1.7- 2.1 °C and 2.7- 3.4 °C

• Small increase in annual precipitation

Adaptation/Mitigation strategies • WS source focussed adaptation/mitigation strategy (Quantity & Quality)

• Main WS source is GW

• Resilient to climate change

• GW management is the major adaptation way

• Increase GW recharge (soil & water conservation, green legacy)

• Increase retention

• Discharge management (monitoring) and water quality

management (water safety plan)

• Use of low energy demanding technologies and renewable energy sources

• Multi-village community water supply systems

Adaptation strategies…

• CC Resilience: the ability of people and systems to anticipate, adapt to

and recover from the negative effects of shocks and stresses in a

manner that reduces vulnerability

• CC Vulnerability: Sensitivity or susceptibility to harm and lack of

capacity to cope and adapt

Online Course IWRM for climate resilience: https://cap-

net.org/iwrm4climateresilience/

Thank You